It is exactly, to the month, 27 years since I knitted a garment by hand. At that time I was in the process of knitting a pullover for 3 year old Allan, when Ian was 5, and Richard was a baby. It took me so long that by the time I had completed it, it was too small for Allan. I realised that if I was to supply such like garments for my family, hand-knitting would not 'work'. So I invested in a basic knitting machine, which kept us going for the next about 15 years - at which time I no longer had time for even that, and, the fashion had changed for teenage boys to wearing other kinds of jackets and tops. That was, I believed the end of my knitting days, and I donated the needles and other equipment to the women's ministry department of the Mozambique Outreach from our church.
That was until I found myself in serious burnout in 2010 - when I started knitting teddy bears - an occupation that did not take much in the way of thought or concentration, but kept me on the edge of sanity. Many are the little teddies of various sizes that I have made and donated to WAR (Women Against Rape) during the months of furlough that I took in 2010 and again in 2011, and also during times of needing to 'opt out' in the stresses 2012.
Since being on Leave of Absence during the first 4 months of 2013, I have continued to knit some teddys, but have got a bit bored with it and decided to go back to 'the olden days' activity of attempting to knit a garment by hand.
Fortunately I have a collection of knitting needles belonging to my mother, who, presently in a Frail Care Centre, no longer has a use for them; and a fair collection of oddments of wool. Seeing as I no longer have any patterns, I resorted to 'google' and found one that looked reasonable and possible to do. I am pleased with the result, and hope that it may fit my grand-daughter! Perhaps this is the start of more knitting. Time will tell!!
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